Thomas Central Park Garden Concert

Includes program. 

“The crowd at the Central Park Garden this week has been enormous. Last night there was just standing-room, and nothing more. The programme was unusually prodigal of novelties, and fully sustained the now traditional interest of the classical Thursdays. The following were the selections [see above].

It is rather a curious circumstance that the first part of the programme consists entirely of transcriptions. Arrangement of piano and other pieces for the orchestra, however, by the best musicians of the present day mean something much more serious and artistic than such work used to be in former times. Every one of those four pieces (or perhaps we should say nine, for the ‘Bilder aus Osten’ really consists of six distinct pieces) has been adapted with such art that the instrumentation itself is an interesting study. The selection from Bach is one of the organ preludes—No. 1 of the third volume, in E flat—and the orchestration is the work of Lernhard Scholz of Berlin. The effect of this majestic composition when it is delivered by the full band is indescribably grand, and we shall be greatly disappointed in the taste of New-York audiences if such a [illegible] work do not become popular. Scholz is also the adapter of the Schubert pianoforte impromptu, one of the four included in Opus 90, and this also is admirably done. Schumann’s beautiful ‘Pictures from the East’ we spoke of recently when Thomas produced them at an extra concert during the Winter. Written for piano (four hands), they have been delightfully arranged for the orchestra by Reinecke. The sturdy march movement in particular comes out with great splendor. The most effective piece of the evening, however, from a popular point of view, was the new ‘Hungarian Rhapsodie,’—one of six which Thomas has recently obtained from Europe, the joint productions of Liszt himself and Doppler of Vienna. It is described in the programme as No. 1; but we must warn our readers that the numbers attached to these orchestral arrangements do not always correspond with the numbers of the original compositions for the pianoforte. The basis of this No. 1 indeed is not one of the piano-forte rhapsodies, but the Fantasia upon Hungarian Popular Songs, for piano-forte and orchestra,--the same which Miss Krebs used to play with Thomas three years ago. It is immensely difficult, brilliant, and imposing, and so full of rich, strongly contrasted and striking effects that we shall not be surprised if it became nearly as popular as No. 2. Tonight Thomas is to produce…

We trust it may not be deemed impertinent if in speaking of these delightful concerts we add a word about the atrocious mistakes of the programmes. Whoever is responsible for the printing of these documents—it certainly is not Mr. Thomas—has a multitude of sins to answer for. They are almost the discreditable things of the kind we have ever seen in New-York—and that is saying a great deal.” 

“The programme at the Central Park Garden last evening took on the classical character peculiar to the regular Thursday night concerts. The ‘Pastoral Symphony’ was the pièce de resistance of the entertainment. How well Mr. Thomas’ band interpret this delicious tone-painting we have often had occasion to say, and yesterday’s recital did not in any way fall below the high standard they have attained to again and again. That its sympathetic and finished rendering was never more thoroughly appreciated is also to be noted in this connection, and it can be recorded with fairness that the Sixth Symphony has rarely been performed amid more reverent silence than that observed by the Summer assemblage of last night. The other classical selections consisted of a prelude by Bach and Schubert’s C minor impromptu, while Liszt, Wagner, Lassen, and Strauss contributed the remaining numbers.”

“Mr. Theodore Thomas’s summer-nights’ concerts at the Central Park Garden continue to attract very numerous audiences that listen to the music with the most respectful attention. Last evening, with the exception of the Strauss Waltz and Lassen overture, the program consisted of works of a very high order.

The opening piece was the celebrated Praeludium in E flat, written by Bach in 1735, and which, in accordance with an old tradition, is usually made to precede the grand fugue in E flat on St. Ann’s Psalm tune. In adapting this work for the orchestra the arranger, Bernard Scholz, of Berlin, has been mostly content to reproduce with fidelity the composition of Bach. At the beginning of the fugal parts some additional notes have been added for the horns, which were perhaps better omitted, for they serve to draw the attention from the subject, which here is all-important, and to create misgivings that Bach’s work is about to receive questionable treatment. But fortunately it escapes further additions, and the work so rendered may be fully enjoyed. It would have been well if the writer of the orchestral arrangement of Bach’s prelude in C sharp minor (from the forty-eight preludes and fugues), which was introduced last year, had abstained from inserting new contrapuntal passages, and thus overcrowding the parts, and also from attempting to improve upon Bach in other ways which need not here be specified.

Then followed the first of the set of four impromptus written by Schubert for the pianoforte, which was also greatly admired. After the set of pieces ‘Bilder aus Osten,’ op. 66, by Schumann, that are always welcome, one of Liszt’s ‘Rhapsodies Hongroises’ was given. This was No. 14 in F, dedicated to H. G. De Bülow, and not No. 1, as stated in the program. The first theme is a highly emphatic Heroic March in the major key of F, which is preceded by a short introduction formed from this theme, that is in the style of a funeral march in the minor mode. Then follows a capricious little melody that consists of short phrases, between which sudden and unexpected silences occur. The Allegretto a la Zingarese in A minor next occurs, which forms a marked contrast to the preceding themes, and then after a reminiscence of the March it passes over to the lightly-tripping and very vivacious melody with which the work concludes.

But this last movement is greatly curtailed, the second or answering subject, which is remarkable for its bold, novel and effective modulations, being entirely omitted.

The audience was evidently highly pleased with the piece, and although it may not become so popular as the Rhapsodie Hongroise No. 2, will nevertheless be a worthy companion to it. Mr. Thomas has several similar adaptations for orchestra of Liszt’s piano-forte compositions, which we hope to hear ere long.

The second part of the concert consisted of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, and the third part began with a selection from ‘Lohengrin.’ It seems quite unnecessary to say one word in praise of these art-products or Mr. Thomas’s unrivalled orchestra.”